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Welcome to AIM² - Advanced In-Flight Measurement Techniques

Flight tests of new or modified aircraft are a necessary part of the design process and provide the final validation of the full scale aircraft design. Flight testing for certification is a critical phase as all trials proving compliance with specifications and regulations must be completed in the shortest possible time, while maintaining high quality standards in the certification process.

Optical measurement techniques can minimise the installation effort and reduce the testing time as they are able to capture a huge amount of parameters within a short time. Thus AIM² focuses on advanced optical testing tools and methods to improve cost-efficiency and reduce testing time of on-ground and in-flight tests. The prime objective is to enable aerospace industries to use such mobile measurement systems in future to reduce testing time and costs.

The preceding project AIM – Advanced In-flight Measurement Techniques proved the principal feasibility to apply modern optical measurement techniques as being used in industrial wind tunnels to flight testing. It presented possibilities to measure wing and rotor deformation, surface pressure distribution, heat distribution and flow velocity fields in a non-intrusive way and with a minimal sensor setup. AIM also identified major challenges to be coped with, before the demonstrated advanced optical measurement techniques will leave the research and development level and become state-of-the-art measurement techniques for industrial use.

This follow-up project AIM² intends to further develop these measurement techniques to be easily and routinely applied to in-flight testing with industrial demands.